2m DX

[WA8ZYT]

Michael, you will be welcome DX to all us Florida 2m SSB operators. Can't wait to work you. GL on the antenna system install.

The Florida SSB Net operates on Monday nights at 7 PM EST. Net control ops are in the Cocoa Beach area.

 

[avistar23]

thanks for the info, will be on the air in the next month or so.

 

[WA8ZYT]

Forgot to mention, the Florida SSB net is on 144.210. During the mornings, a lot of folks monitor .205.

Hang out in the ON4KST chat room 144/432 Region 2, and get on KA1ZE/3's daily email list, as well.

Just looked your call up on QRZ and it looks like you are about the same beam heading, as the Net Control's are!

 

[Blackcat630]

Good read.. figured I'd bring it back. Anything anyone wants to add...

 

[HomerBB]

I walked into the garage where my shack is Sunday PM at ~9:30 CT. I keyed up and dropped my call on 146.520. A fellow came back to me from Aurora, MO, 51 miles NNE of me across some difficult terrain. I don't talk that far normally from my QTH. we spoke awhile as he talked of all the long distance contacts he was making via troposphere ducting. So I decided to check it out and heard several talking simplex doing a net. Net control was very robust in my receive, so I checked into their net. Net control was in Lincoln, NE, o mere 339 miles north of me. Ahh, ducting...?

 

[Blackcat630]

I walked into the garage where my shack is Sunday PM at ~9:30 CT. I keyed up and dropped my call on 146.520. A fellow came back to me from Aurora, MO, 51 miles NNE of me across some difficult terrain. I don't talk that far normally from my QTH. we spoke awhile as he talked of all the long distance contacts he was making via troposphere ducting. So I decided to check it out and heard several talking simplex doing a net. Net control was very robust in my receive, so I checked into their net. Net control was in Lincoln, NE, o mere 339 miles north of me. Ahh, ducting...?

Good stuff Homer. Tropo can be a lot of fun and this year has been decent. Good stuff happening now actually.. one of the reasons I resurrected this thread.

There's been a couple great E skip openings over my area as well. Picked up Louisiana which was a new grid and state for me on 2 meters. Also had my first opening into the northeast (beyond NY & PA) finally. Worked RI, CT, MA, NJ all Eskip. The last opening was so amazing I tried QRP... central IL to NJ 5 watts 5/9... down to 1 watt 5/7!! Signals were at time 30-40 over S9 out of the northeast. At 800 to 1000 air miles out.. Unbelievable! This was done on ssb with 100 watts and 13 elements at around 60 ft.

Its all about being at the right place at the right time and catching someone on the band to talk to. Sometimes the band is open but no one on voice to talk to.. especially with the popularity of FT8.

Location can also play a big role in enhancement. The midwest is a decent spot for summer tropo. Also it is very common over Florida and parts of the south east and north east.

Some good resources are the aprs real-time enhancement map and the Hepburn forcast map. ON4KST chat is also a hangout for a lot of weak signal guys.

Links for the maps below:

http://aprs.mennolink.org/

https://dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

2 meters is definitely more than the same old dudes on the same repeaters year after year.. It can get wild at times.. With a little patience, some decent aluminum and height.. good feedline.. It can be a blast!

 

[avistar23]

I have a good 2m VHF setup but no one is ever pointing at me and if they are they are on FT8.... i monitor repeaters in south Florida to tell when the band is open.

 

[Blackcat630]

Monitoring repeaters can be a good tool as well. When you hear multiple machines on your local repeater frequency...thats a good indicator of a band opening.

 

[HomerBB]

I need to get my 10 element 2m yagi up.
What I used Sunday night was my Anytone AT-778UV, coax, and Tram 1481 vertical. And it was on FM.